For fifteen months my husband had been so feeble that he had not carried his watch or purse, or driven his own team when riding out. But with the present year he had taken his watch and purse, the latter empty in consequence of our great expenses, and had driven his own team. He had, during his sickness, refused at different times to accept money from his brethren to the amount of nearly one thousand dollars, telling them that when he was in want he would let them know it. We were at last brought to want. My husband felt it his duty, before becoming dependent, to first sell what we could spare. He had some few things at the office, and scattered among the brethren in Battle Creek, of little value, which he collected and sold. We disposed of nearly one hundred and fifty dollars worth of furniture. My husband tried to sell our sofa for the meetinghouse, offering to give ten dollars of its value, but could not. At this time our only and very valuable cow died. My husband then for the first time felt that he could receive help, and addressed a note to a brother, stating that if the church would esteem it a pleasure to make up the loss of the cow they might do so. But nothing was done about it only to charge my husband with being insane on the subject of money. The brethren knew him well enough to know that he would never ask for help unless driven to it by stern necessity. And now that he had done it, judge of his feelings and mine when no notice was taken of the matter only to use it to wound us in our want and deep affliction. {1T 582.2}


Vidnesbyrd for menigheden bind 1 kapitel 103. 582.     Fra side 582 i den engelske udgave.tilbage

Erfarings skildringer

I femten måneder har min mand været så svag at han ikke har passet sit arbejde, forvaltet sine egne midler, eller været med når stormen skulle rides af. Men i år har han taget sit arbejde og gjort sin forvaltning. Men der har ikke været så meget at forvalte fordi vi havde så store udgifter. Han har under sin sygdom afvist adskillige gange at tage imod penge fra sine brødre, et beløb på omkring tusinde dollars og fortalt dem at, når han mangler midler vil han lade dem vide det. Til sidst kom vi i mangel. Min mand følte at det var hans pligt at vi, før vi blev afhængige, måtte vi først sælge hvad vi kunne undvære. Han havde nogle få ting på kontoret og noget af lidt værdi spredt blandt brødrene i Battle Creek, som han samlede og solgte. Vi rådede over hen ved et hundrede og halvtreds dollars i værdi for møblerne. Min mand prøvede at sælge vores sofa til mødelokalet og prøvede at give ti dollars af dets værdi men kunne ikke. På det tidspunkt døde vor eneste og meget værdifulde ko. Min mand mente først at han kunne få hjælp og sendte et lille brev til en bror, hvor der stod at hvis menigheden fandt det godt at gøre tabet af koen op måtte de gøre dette. Men intet blev gjort ved det og påførte kun min mand sindssvaghed på grund af pengene. Brødrene kendte ham godt nok til at vide at han aldrig (583) ville bede om hjælp, uden det var strengt nødvendigt. Og nu hvor han gjorde det, blev der ikke gjort noget ved det kun for at såre os i vor mangle og dybe lidelser.

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